Is Berklee Worth It? My honest opinion
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 มิ.ย. 2024
- Hello there and welcome to my TH-cam channel :)
I wanted to share my opinion about Berklee with you and give you some advice/tips after spending 3 years at that incredible place.
I hope this will be helpful!
Hit me up on Instagram @baga.music - let's talk, connect. I hope I can be helpful to you :)
I am also offering online lessons - you can email me at: basiagalajmusic@gmail.com - for more details
Maybe I will be able to help you prepare for your Berklee audition? :)
Let's connect!
Yours,
Basia
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Hello everyone! :) I received a lot of questions about Berklee so I decided to make a Q&A video and answer the questions that repeated a lot! Hope it will help some of you. You can watch it here: th-cam.com/video/2PMbgfkVrkA/w-d-xo.html . Have a good day and good luck with your audition! :)
I'm a Filipino and I'm interested to audition in Berklee is $75,000 a one year tuition only? Or good for 4 years study in Berklee?
I attended Berklee and racked up $130,000 in debt. My minimum monthly bill was $1,200! That is before rent, food, gas, utilities, etc. I was pretty devastated when I got out because I never thought I would be able to pay it off. Most musicians out of school need to live on Ramen at first to survive. $1,200 on top of everything pretty much put an end to my music career as soon as I graduated. I ended up going back to school for business, got into sales and paid off all my debt two years ago. A lot of people going to Berklee have parents paying their tuition. If you have to pay for it yourself, don’t go! Move to a music city instead, get the best private instructor you can find, and start looking for gigs. Boston is not really a music town. You will get established faster in the town you would eventually move to anyway, at a fraction of the cost by doing this instead of going to Berklee.
What do u mean by.. Music city?
I'd love to know more..
@@ray_its_riyaaa Nashville, LA, New York, Las Vegas. Somewhere where you can actually make money as a musician.
Music City, AKA Nashville, TN
That is great you were able to get that scholarship the second time, and this was a great description! I just graduated from Berklee Saturday in Music Composition, and it was some of the best years of my life musically, and was one of the best decisions I've ever made. It really is a great school full of great teachers and students, and overall the entire school is just comfortable.
Thanks for the advice! I got accepted a few days ago and I'm just doing crazy research!
macaroonradio First of all - congratulations ! That’s fantastic :) I remember doing that research as well :) do you know what you want to major in already?
@@baga_finds I was always hoping to major in Music Therapy or Songwriting. Unfortunately I did not get a scholarship, so I don't think I will be attending this year, although I hope to transfer in the future just like you did! It is just way too expensive. Would you say it's still worth it to go if I get a good amount of financial aid from outside?
@@macaroonradio8921 I think transferring is the best option. You won't regret it and you will save a lot of money by doing that (and you will be more prepared mentally as well). I totally think it's worth going but like you said - with a good amount of financial aid from outside. I got a scholarship from Berklee but also from outside of Berklee, so try all the possibilities. It's hard but worth it! And it's absolutely possible - it just takes some extra work - super worth it in the long run, especially when you graduate with no debt! :)
(I apologize in advance for how long this is. Feel free to not read all if any of this. I’ve just needed to get some of this out for a while now)
Thank you for this. I really needed to hear it. Berklee has been my dream since Freshman year of high school and I auditioned in 2015 and got accepted but didn’t receive a scholarship. My family couldn’t co-sign on loans because of bad credit, so I quickly realized I wasn’t going to be able to attend. I joined the Army not long after that.
I spent 4 years in the Army, and didn’t really enjoy it ( although I made some friendships that will last for life and got to jump out of airplanes). The only reason I stayed in was so I could get my G.I. Bill (basically a big scholarship for being in the military) and go to Berklee. I auditioned again in 2019 and was accepted; this time, with a $10,000 scholarship.
The G.I. Bill covers all costs for public Universities. For private Universities, they only pay up to $24,000 per year. All of the money was pretty much front-loaded into the first semester by the VA (Veterans Affairs). My financial aid, and scholarship money pretty much paid for everything else... for that semester, but I figured I’d just take out more loans later like everyone else and I’d be fine.
One month after I signed out of Fort Bragg I arrived at Berklee. Every day at Berklee was an incomparable high for me. Although I was ridiculously stressed most of the time, I felt like I was finally home. I did pretty well. I joined the student news paper and was almost immediately promoted to Associate Editor. My GPA was pretty respectable at 3.7. Near the end of the first semester I declared my major in songwriting, hoping to be one of the next great songwriters.
I loved every minute I spent there... until I applied for second semester loans and learned I needed a co-signer. There was still no one in my family who was able to help. Some people from outside of my family offered to co-sign but I didn’t want to risk jeopardizing their credit. My friends at school helped me in searching for scholarships and grants but we couldn’t find anything that would help within the small time frame I had, so I filed an appeal to raise my scholarship money. It was declined.
I scrambled to find a way to stay to no avail. I eventually found out about Musicians Institute in Los Angeles through my twin brother who was researching the school. They have a program (the yellow ribbon program) for veterans that covers whatever costs aren’t covered by the G.I. Bill. Berklee had it too, but theirs only offered $5,000, which doesn’t make a dent in their $75,000 tuition.
On the last day of the first semester. I packed everything up, said goodbye to my 3 roommates (with whom I became pretty close) and left Berklee for good and a month later I was heading to Los Angeles with my brother. The people at MI were so invested in helping us that the admissions process went very quickly.
I’ve been here since January, and it’s been pretty cool. My brother and I pay nothing for tuition and only have to pay rent which is covered by our BAH (Basic Housing Allowance) from the G.I. Bill. I’m learning a lot and I’ve found my calling in guitar performance (I know, I know). Things are good, but I’m still so angry for so many reasons.
I think about Berklee every waking moment and over the past few weeks, it’s been hell. I miss my friends and I miss the environment of Boston and Berklee and I’m having a hard time enjoying LA.
Hearing you say some of the things you said in this make me think that this could be a good thing.
I hope to eventually end up at Berklee again one day either for a master’s degree or as a professor, but for now I’m trying to appreciate what I have. If you made it to the end of this, thanks for listening... and sorry about that. Lol
Trevor Boggs Dear Trevor! Thank you so much for sharing your story. I know how you feel and I understand how frustrating this might be. I always tell myself that things happen for a reason. When I first got into Berklee but I didn’t get any scholarship - I felt as if all my life dreams and plans were completely crashed. Looking back - it was the absolute best thing that could have happened to me. I know that this is not what you want to hear but trust me - if it’s meant to be it will come, sooner or later. Take advantage of the fact that you live in LA now. So many of my friends from Berklee move there right after graduation and while I’m Boston they already dream of being in sunny California. You are already here! Make the most of out it. Connect with people, play with them. You might learn more from this experience than you would ever learn in a classroom setting - especially if you want to be a guitar player/performer :)
Keep fighting. I believe in you!
Perspective is difficult but maybe what is happening right now is the best possible thing and it will lead you to wonderful places in life. You never know!:)
Don’t look back too much and make the most out of the situation you are in but please - don’t stop dreaming and fighting for your dreams. They will come true sooner or later. You will see :)
For what it's worth, thanks for the insight. I'm AD currently and was looking for someone with some experience. This has gave me some food for thought.
Hello, Trevor. Your story is very admirable and inspiring! Why? Because you first experienced a roadblock. Then you figured out another way to achieve your goal to attend Berklee! Awesome planning! You did it! You made it to Berklee and were able to attend for some time. You experienced another roadblock. Then you found another solution to continue your music goals! Bravo! You are definitely not someone to give up on your dreams! Also, I was in the Army many, many years ago (1984-88) for college money also. But I wanted to be an engineer not music. But I also needed to find a way since my family was broke too! Anyway back to you. When I was in the Army I had a co-worker that loved music and played in the recreation center every week after work all the time. I asked him what was his goal? He said that he wanted to be a musician in the Armed Forces Band. Guess what? He practiced like a madman for at least a year or two. Well, he finally auditioned. He got accepted to the US Army Band. His life was now set to do what he wanted! I believe you also have that strong character to get back to Berklee if you still want or to achieve success in LA!!! Your story says it all! Hold your head up high and keep working on your musical goals. As far as I can tell you were destined to succeed in anything you pursue!!! Take care and keep reaching for your dreams! Oh, by the way. My daughter is now at Berklee for Singing/Songwriting and Music Business. She didn't get a scholarship yet. But maybe next year she can try for the scholarship. In the meantime I'm taking care of her expenses as my future turned out better than expected and I can afford it... for now.
If you would like to listen to my daughter you can go here...
th-cam.com/play/OLAK5uy_lS4_4jVuda8gN_TCCrYNKEEK54d8jbVqA.html
open.spotify.com/artist/0e1Zih19iuVEnhZPOuqL9V?si=Sy6NMF30Stuhz2P6Tqyo6g&dl_branch=1
your videos on berklee have been incredibly helpful, THANK YOU so much!!
I’m so glad to hear it! Thank you for watching ☺️🙏
Hello Basia,
I just found your video and, as a 1977 Berklee graduate, found it very interesting to watch a younger and much more recent graduate's take on things. Let me start by saying I was a Music Ed major back in the days when Berklee consisted of only 2 buildings, 150 Mass Ave. and 1140 Boylston St.. Also, in the mid-1970s, I'm not sure what the total number of students were at Berklee but I can assure you it wasn't anywhere close to today's count. Also, male students GREATLY outnumbered female students in those days. What I'd like to say, however, is that I truly felt my 4 years at Berklee taught me a lot, not just about music, but about life in general. Over the years I've returned to Boston a few times and was most impressed with how the college has grown. I've also been happy to see that Berklee has really kept up with today's music technology and how the changes which have happened over the decades are now applied to creating and recording today's music at the college. I'm glad you pointed out that performance majors shouldn't expect Berklee to automatically turn them into famous, top money-earning stars, but it most certainly WILL give performers knowledge, experience, and the tools needed to greatly refine and improve their performance skills. As is often the case, especially in the life of a musician, you need to give MUCH of yourself during your early years in order to receive worthwhile things in return as time moves forward. Also important are networking with other musicians, being both RELIABLE and RESPONSIBLE when you're hired for a gig... in addition to being prepared AND humble. I've been fortunate enough to have met and played with a number of very talented performers during the half-century I was playing and what I often noticed was those who were the MOST skilled players/singers often turned out to be the nicest people... the type who would always talked about how good other musicians were, rather than boasting about their own musical talents. And, finally, both good timing and having a bit of luck occur most certainly come into play when it comes to the level of success a person can/will achieve in the world of musical performance. Anyway... I wish you great success in your musical endeavors. Thanks for allowing me to reminisce a bit about MY days at Berklee... those many years ago. -- Mark
thanks mate! was so informative and helpful.
My son finished a music degree in perfornance at Berklee, with a minor in theory. Went on to get a masters in theory after moving to Nashville. Now teaches college, private instruction, does session work which is mostly done by zoom or emailing pro tool files in Nashville now, takes summer side man gigs with artists and arranges for print publishers. My advice, Berklee is a prestigious degree and will open doors, but you must have a plan and be multi faceted. A performance degree will also include the learning of many other skill sets like theory, arranging, conducting, the use of Finale and Sibelius, Pro Tools, basic engineering etc. You can use them all to make money. Teaching has been a base income source reaching back to Mozart and Haydn. If you’re creative and hustle you can make a good living with a Berklee degree. You’ve gotta be willing to accept a lot of rejection and have a lot of patience. All it takes is one YES
This was super helpful. Thank you so much for putting the time making this video.
I’m glad to hear that! ☺️ of course! Happy to help:)
yes pleaseee, make a video on your second audition
Such an excellent video, Basia! My daughter is an incoming freshman this fall . . . I've been having some worries and you just enlightened me! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for watching 😊 good luck to your daughter!!
A very good advice ! Thank you
Loved this video really needed it. Could you please make a video on how where and how you got a job and how exactly berklee helped u with it . Thanks!!!
Day by Day is AMAZING!!! I'm in love
Thank you so so much!! It means a lot to me ☺️
Great video Basia, great song too! I am curious, are you working in the field after these studies? I want to change career and always been doing music as a sideline, composed many, many songs but never got to burst into the business as an artist. I figured I would love to write songs for people but fear it's difficult to get in. I tried to contact music publishers but it seems like a closed circuit. They say directly on their site that they don't accept submissions of songs. I don't know if a music business course from Berklee on Coursera can help in any way, would you know or have an opinion? Thanks for your videos, you have a great personality by the way!
Would love to know about the second audition! :)
I’m a little older since I went to another school for awhile but I’m planning on transferring as either Production or Sound Design or Film, Games, and Media composition. Here’s to hoping I get a scholarship
This is just the video I needed! I really want to go to Berklee, but I’m just worried about the money. I live in Nevada, and my original plan was to major in jazz and commercial music at UNLV (which is really cheap). I like the idea of Berklee’s contemporary major! I primarily play bari sax (jazz and funk styles), so what opportunities would I have?
I'm glad to hear it helped :) You can always transfer! (like I did) and I think that would honestly be the best option :)
Thank you for this finda information 😄 love from india ❤️
Well done. As a performance major you should become a much better player
then if you try to do it on you own. You also make connections to get high level gigs.
Thanks for the honest advice :)
but i think my case is a little different, im from Iran and i know exactly what major i'm going to choose and i know i can make the audition very well!
but for audition i have to be there and it's almost impossible for iranians :(
and i want to study abroad because iran is not a good place for music.
do you think berklee gonna woth it?
oh btw i love the new single "Oceans".
Hello! I just got accepted and got a great scholarship. I’m going to major in CWP as well. Can you share more of your experience in that major and what career you’re working on right now?
Second part please 🙏🏻
This video really help I’m planning to transfer this year 2022 to berklee but I don’t know if I’ll get in or not as you said should have confidence I don’t have 😂 and I don’t have scholarships my dad will be paying for berklee I’m hoping I get in but then after I get in I think I’ll have to worry about a lot like housing
Thanks
Hi Y'all..I graduated from Berklee as an MP&E major with the guitar being my pricipal instrument in...long time ago..1996...I am originally from Germany and always wanted to make it in music production in the US of A...so..as my music theory knowledge and instrument proficiency was poor, I considered applying to Berklee..and back then the semester tuition was about 4 grand (2 for the summer term). I was very nervous before I went to the application procedures, but it was a piece of cake..at Berklee, there is a huge enrollment of international students and the college knows, that their parents would always pay the the tuition..so I was in...I completed my four-year-program within two and a half years by testing out of general education classes and graduated with my BA degree. Alright..it was great fun beiing there-I learned a lot, but the actual benefit, which I git out of these years was the fact having studied in the US, learned the language, learned about the culture and this great country.. In music business, nobody cares about college degrees , neither then nor today...you should be aware this..I never used my Berklee degree for any job application (nobody ever asked)..I worked in the recoring business for a couple of years and eventually changed into real estate (which I am still doing today).... Anyway, you can get a lot out of a time at Berklee, but dont't expect it to be your door opener in the music business..and considering the tuition, they charge these days..well ..if you can afford it..and don't forget about Boston being an expensive place to live (I paid 200 $/month for a cool apartment in Jamaica Plain -today that would likely be 2000 $..)...and that's the way it is..;-)
Hello, I am planning to apply to berklee MP&E major and I would be very grateful if we can talk about your experience in more detail.
I wish I watched your video before I decided to go to Berklee..... in 1994! Seriously tho. I did everything you advised against. i.e. I chose performance, I didn't have a scholarship, I had no direction and no idea what I wanted to get out of Berklee before I got there (and even while I was there! I changed major 3-4 times, yikes!) And because of that, I didn't get as much out of my time there as I could have. The only upside is that tuition cost $10k a year, and living costs were about $10k too, so the total was $80k for all 4 years. Still that was a lot of money back then, but nowhere near a quarter of a million dollars like it is nowadays!
Wow Beautiful lessons learnt
I didn't waste my Time here
Agreed. Would love my son to go to Berklee but with a scholarship or by paying cash, but never by going into an unpayable debt like most people do.
I will echo what Basia said- if you need a big loan to afford Berklee, don't do it. We live a couple miles from the Berklee Spain campus, but my son chose a local conservatory instead. It cost a very small fraction of Berklee, and they cover the same material. He already practices religiously, and as a consequence has performed with half a dozen orchestral groups, Big Band, pop/rock groups, chamber music, etc. Last year he secured a weekly piano gig at a local hotel here at the ripe age of 18. Last Fall he produced his first concert. Now he wants to learn the technical aspects of music production, but again, it won't be at Berklee. It may be your parents' (or the banks') money, but it's your future. Consider it wisely.
Please make another video about your second audition!
Alex Miranda alright! Will do ☺️ thank you for watching!
By Basia you’re welcome! This video helped me a lot 🙏
Ma'am, please please please tell me how did you got the scholarship! It's my dream to graduate from there! But I cannot afford it.. Please help me!
heyy basia, kinda late to this video hah but where i live the education system is very different and im really really lost so i have some questions. when u apply for the school are you automatically applying for the schollarship or do you have to do some procedure? also can you directly choose a major or are there any pre requirements, and are prinicpal instruments a carreer apart from the major/minor or can u do both at the same time?? sorry i have so many questions and thankuuu
Hey! Yes, when you apply to school and do your audition you are already considered for scholarship :) when it comes to majors - some require pre-requisites some don’t. I think you can find all those information on their website :) you can always do 2 majors! But even if you do a major that doesn’t require as much playing as performance, it doesn’t mean you won’t use your instrument. It really all depends on you :)
Hi Basia, very nice video. Thank you so much for sharing the information.
I'm from Asia and I really want to study Film scoring and composition in Berklee but I don't know which to choose.
Do you have any recommendation?
Hello Danna! :) thank you so much for watching! You can always do both! I know a lot of people who decided to do 2 majors or even 3! But if you only want to pick one I would suggest picking film scoring - I think Berklee is very strong in this department, they have a lot of resources as well! I hope this was helpful! :)
@@baga_finds Thanks very much for the suggestion. Hope that you're getting better in your career too.
Can You tell us how Berklee Student do They plan Practice Schedule Please ?
Hi Basia! What were you studying at Berklee?
Thanks so much for the video❤️ would you say its neccessary to talk about scholarships during the interview? So that the judges know how I’m intending to get one. Would they give you one if you didn’t mention that you want to get one?
Thank you for watching! 🙂 it doesn’t hurt to try, so why not do it? It’s not necessary but it can only help :)
Hi Basia, thank you so much for share this with us.
I'm from Italy and I've been accepted to Berklee 3 months ago with a Scholarship of 15.000$ to do Film Scoring.
Unfortunately for me its not enough, I came from a mid salary family in Italy and here we don't have this kind of gigantic tuition to pay.
I've tried everything to rise my scholarship or to gain a financial aid from Berklee but nothing.
I'm thinking of solutions to save something, like:
- do more test out that I can
- take the Diploma instead of the Degree (I've also an Italian degree in Electronic Composition).
Do you have in mind something that can help me to save something? Like work on campus (I hope that i can) or some other scholarships??
I will try even a crowdfounding and also join the semesters less expensive, but I'm scared that I will non seize this opportunity of studing what I love.
Thank you soo much for everything, you earned a new subscriber.
P.s sorry for my not enterely correct english
Hello Roberto! Thank you so much for watching! :) I absolutely understand your situation. All your ideas are great. Do test outs - as many as you can! If you can transfer credits for liberal arts - that would also be very helpful. I wanted to suggest the diploma, but you already said it yourself! Great way to save money, still attend Berklee, and not take all the liberal arts classes. Once you get to Berklee you can get a job on campus - it will most definitely help, I worked on campus and was able to pay for all my groceries and a part of my rent as well! I think a crowdfunding campaign is also great! Anything that can help you raise even a few hundred dollars is worth trying you know? I know that Berklee just started a new scholarship called thrive scholarship www.berklee.edu/scholarships/thrive-scholarship - so once you are there you could apply for it! :) I know it's rough but I believe in you! If I could suggest one more thing to save money - don't live on campus. It's SO expensive. A good idea would be to rent a room and share it with someone. You will spend so much time on campus you will only go back there to sleep, trust me. So it's not worth spending a ton of money on it. I also know that people save a lot of money on not doing the health insurance that Berklee offers. I am not sure what they used but I know you don't have to take the one they offer. That itself will save you a few thousand dollars! People used to find different health insurances - cheaper ones, I think you have to get it approved by Berklee, but it's definitely possible! Please stay in touch! I hope I was helpful and can answer any other questions you may have!
@@baga_finds Thank you so much! It was so kind from you to answer me like that!
Hope to hear from you soon!
Hi Roberto! :) I would like to ask you what did you do for your audition for Film Scoring? How was improvisation thing?? I want to go for online audition too (Film Scoring), but I am so much nervous...
@@elizavetazharikova6667 Hi! Actually I did my audition in London and I could talk to you about this audition for hours, because I understood so many things.
But answering to your question I played 2 piano pieces, an Ennio Morricone Soundtrack (i recommend to bring something related to film scoring) and an original piece.
The improvisation was just 1 minute and a half in a F Blues, nothing special (even if here I could tell you a looot), and my advice is to prepare really really well for the Interview.
If you want you can contact me on Instagram (robertomengoli_music) or Facebook (Roberto Mengoli) and I can answer to all of your doubt! Let me know, okay? :)
I suspect most of what Berklee offers is on TH-cam for free but we kinda guessed that.
Did you audition at University of North Texas as well? What was your area of study at that university before you transferred?
I did! :) I majored in jazz studies
Did you already do the video of how to prepare for the second audition?
The Music Teacher yes I did :) it’s on my channel and in a playlist called “Berklee”
Hi, I'm violinist and I was planning to go to Berklee Next year, i don't want to do performance but I want to study on my violin skills and stuff, but I also want to have knowledge on production and stuff like that, what do u recommend?? Thank you I really liked ur video
Hi Lucia! :) Thank you so much for watching! You can always do 2 majors or there is a major called "pro music" where you can design your own path at Berklee and connect both performance classes with production etc :) I think that could be a good option!
@@baga_finds thank you so much ❤️❤️
Hi! I would like to know what’s your opinion about the online degrees that Berklee offers. Thank you!
Hello Sofia! I actually don't know anyone who did the online degree but I've heard that it's good! You get access to all the faculty members that the on-campus students have, you can watch the masterclasses and benefit from Berklee online events! I think it's definitely worth looking into if you can't or don't want to be on campus! :)
Thank you! I actually got accepted into both, Berklee on campus and Berklee online. My dream is to major in Film scoring. I just need guidance on whether or not going to Berklee is worth it. I’m stuck and I don’t know what to do since apparently they do not accept credits from my community college (I live in Texas). :(
Hi Hello! Thank you so much for the advice! I wanted to ask you a question. How much is the scholarship?
Daniel Freeman of course! I hope it was helpful :) so the scholarship vary from person to person. It all depends on how well you do on your audition. Some people get $5.000 some $30.000 etc.
@@baga_finds per year or per semester? Thank you so much for the video! :)
@@2004shalev of course! Thank you so much for watching. :) The scholarship is per year!
If you graduate, you fail. I was there in 79/80. Left after 3 semesters.
Is it possible to get a scholarship as an international student ?
Yes! Of course :)
Your dream are same my dream anyway iam from India
Very insightful video, many people are stating that it is only worth going if you get a big scholarship, and sick that you met jesus molina!
Did you transfer after completing the whole 4 semesters?
Yes! That’s correct :)
How many years did you attend at Berklee?
3 :)
Just to get Berklee name on your resume? Berklee is not worth it.
Exactly
You need to keep a good relationship with your banker.
😂👍
Unless you are lucky enough to get a scholarship or come from money DO NOT GO HERE!!!!!
IT IS A RIPOFF!!!!!